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RELEVANT LINKS: <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.352, subd. <br />8. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.352, subd. <br />7. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.352, subd. <br />8. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.352, subd. <br />9. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.357, subd <br />2. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.352, subd. <br />6. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.357, subd. <br />2 (c). <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.355, subd. <br />1. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.355, subd. <br />2. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.355, subd. <br />1. <br />Minn. Stat. § 462.353, subd <br />2. <br />• Public or community facilities plan. <br />• Thoroughfare or transportation plan. <br />• Community facilities plan. <br />• Capital improvement program. <br />While not all cities are required to adopt a comprehensive plan, a plan is still <br />a good practice for a couple of reasons. First, once a plan is adopted, it <br />guides local officials in making their day-to-day decisions. <br />Second, preparing a comprehensive plan prior to the adoption of a zoning <br />ordinance affords a city additional legal protections if a particular ordinance <br />provision is challenged in court. Zoning ordinances must be reasonable and <br />have a rational basis. Comprehensive plans assist a city in articulating the <br />basis for its zoning decisions. Usually the courts will not question the <br />policies and programs contained in a comprehensive plan adopted by a local <br />community, or question the ordinances based upon the plan, unless the <br />particular zoning provision appears to be without any rational basis, or <br />clearly exceeds a city's regulatory authority. <br />If a city is not able to develop a comprehensive plan prior to adopting a <br />zoning ordinance, the zoning ordinance should be adopted in conjunction <br />with extensive, written finding of facts, stating the policy reasons that <br />necessitate the ordinance's adoption. <br />2. Preparing the comprehensive plan <br />State statute vests authority for preparing the comprehensive plan in the <br />planning commission. However, the city council also may propose the <br />comprehensive municipal plan and amendments to the plan by a resolution <br />submitted to the planning commission. When this occurs, the council may <br />not adopt the recommended language until it has received a report from the <br />planning commission or 60 days have elapsed. <br />When preparing a comprehensive plan or an amendment to the plan, the <br />planning commission must consider the location and dimensions of airport <br />safety zones and any airport improvement identified in the airport's most <br />recent approved airport layout plan. <br />The plan may be prepared and adopted in sections, each relating to a major <br />subject, or to a major geographical section of the municipality. <br />Cities are authorized to collect and analyze data; prepare maps, charts, tables, <br />and other illustrations and displays; and conduct necessary studies when <br />developing a comprehensive plan. Cities also may hire planning consultants <br />and other experts to assist in drafting their plan. <br />League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: <br />Planning Commission Guide <br />12/16/2024 <br />Page 7 <br />